Tools and strategies for the technology B2B marketing department to operate effectively.

December 30, 2013

White Papers: Still King of Technology B2B Content

White Papers are still a staple of the Technology B2B technology content diet. Our research points this out, both behavioral metrics on the web and primary research surveys.What is a White Paper?

White papers are topical reports, typically 8 – 12 pages long, on issues that require a lot of explanation. Also known as "conference papers," "research reports," or "technical briefs," they are perfect for demonstrating thought leadership on issues vital to your buyers.

But how to leverage them for all their worth?Remember the mantra: Get found. Get read. Get shared. Get found: don’t write what you want to say. Write about what your target market searches for. Research it. What problems do they have doing their jobs? Narrow this down to the topics and issues that relate to your product. If you execute well--on target and on vernacular--you will get found.Get read: nobody finishes a badly written white paper. But this isn’t just about good writing. good writing is important. It’s necessary; but not sufficient. Your coverage has to be useful to be read. Even if you’re engaging, you’d better be useful too--or else it’s just entertainment.Get shared: this is part tactical and part an extension of the getting read. The tactical part is to make it technically easy to share. Have share links and buttons. Reward readers for sharing. But remember, they won’t share some thing that sucks, other than to tell other people that it sucks. You don't want that, do you?Get found. Get read. Get shared. Make sure your white papers hit all three.